Telephone Tax Hike Goes Down

Prince Georgians have overwhelmingly rejected a ballot initiative to raise the county's telephone tax from 8 to 11 percent and provide more funding for schools.

County leaders had predicted the tax increase would bring in $17 million a year for education. But Prince Georgians have a long history of rejecting tax increases at the ballot box. This year, a coalition of business groups and phone companies had waged a vigorous effort to convince residents to vote "no."

With 44 percent of precincts reporting, about 70 percent of Prince Georgians had voted "no" on the issue.